Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

by Fuji

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.6 x 1.1 x 2.2 inches ; 7.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000EJVWGS
• Item model number: F30
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,337 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 2, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3MP Digital Camera is a revolution in point-and-shoot digital cameras for consumers. With full-resolution ISO equivalency speeds as high as 3200 -- a setting previously reserved for advanced consumer and professional digital camera models -- the F30 takes crystal clear photographs where other cameras would deliver blurry images. Higher light sensitivities allow this camera to shoot with faster shutter speeds, which lessens the likelihood of blurry pictures caused by ever-active children, fidgety pets, dim ambient light, or an unsteady camera hand.

A 3x optical zoom lens brings you closer to your subjects when you want to catch important details. Take a closer look at the FinePix F30's functions.

Sized to slip into a pocket or purse, the F30 might be diminutive, but the extra-large 6.3 megapixel resolution is more than enough for high-quality standard 4x6-inch prints. However, if you'd like to make larger prints, or alter an image with photo editing software, the extra-resolution is a valuable asset. An extra-large, 2.5-inch (230,000 pixel) LCD monitor fills the back of the camera. With convenient features like Auto Brightness and an anti-glare, low reflection CV (Clear View) film, the monitor provides comfortable composition and viewing of photos whether in dim interiors or under bright sunlight. The responsive FinePix F30 is ready when you are, with a super-fast start-up time (1.4 seconds), a shooting interval of 1.5 seconds, and a shutter release time lag of a minimum of 0.01 seconds.

The class-leading performance of FinePix F30 is due in large part to the second generation of Real Photo Technology. This Fujifilm photographic achievement is a combination of Fujifilm's Super CCD sensor, its proprietary RP Processor, and a world-class lens from Fujinon. The camera's 3.0x optical zoom lens has a focal range equivalent to 36-108mm on a 35mm camera. Combined with a 6.2x digital zoom, this camera offers a 18.6x total zoom range that brings you closer to your subjects than ever before. Fujinon, Fujifilm sister company, produces these high-quality optics that are used by broadcasters, astronomers, scientists, the military and others to bring their subjects closer with crisp, clear image quality.

Fujifilm has also added a helpful "Picture Stabilization" mode dial setting to the F30. This easy-to-identify, automatic setting lets the camera choose the correct light sensitivity -- ISO equivalents up to 3200 -- and best matching shutter speed for the highest quality digital pictures.

In the past, high ISO equivalencies such as 3200 (or even 1600 and 800), had been off-limits to compact consumer digital cameras, but not any more. In addition to Picture Stabilization, the F30 combats the high-ISO, low-picture-clarity problem with the sixth-generation Super CCD sensor that produces less noise than its predecessor, and an RP Processor II that is finely tuned to remove even more noise. The end result is the FinePix F30: a camera that produces sharp pictures, full of rich color with dramatically less image noise, even in the lowest of lights.

A 2.5-inch LCD display makes it easy to frame great shots.

Another innovation of the FinePix F30 that works in tandem with Real Photo Technology and higher ISOs is the Fujifilm flash system called i-Flash. More advanced than similar flash systems, the i-Flash can accurately detect the subtle lighting differences within a scene, and then light the subject accordingly with a wider range of flash intensities. This is accomplished with an adjustment to the flash's intensity based on a variety of factors, such as subject position in the frame, subject size, ambient light, and backlight intensity. So, even if the subject is off center and standing under a street light, the i-Flash system will expose the subject properly.

i-Flash is a tremendous asset to any photographer, particularly when shooting in low-light -- subjects look more natural in front of backgrounds full of bright and clear detail. However, the i-Flash difference is most apparent in portraits, delivering realistic facial tones without the washed-out look so often associated with flash photography. Basically, this smart flash control system recognizes conditions, and determines the optimum flash output to give you superb results.

Ever run out of digital storage just at the wrong moment? Not with the F30. With 10 MB of built-in storage you'll never have to miss that special shot. Think of it as your internal insurance policy for those great, not-to-be missed photo opportunities. Amazingly easy to operate, all you have to do is switch-on the FinePix F30, and you'll be ready to shoot. Controls have been arranged for easy, fingertip operation giving you quick access to all the camera's great exposure modes and scenes. The full range of exposure modes includes auto, aperture-priority AE, shutter priority AE, manual, movie, picture stabilization, and scene position modes; plus, a generous selection of 15 preset scene positions that include underwater, sunset, snow, fireworks, party, museum and more. Whatever the situation, the FinePix F30 makes it a snap to get great results.

Additional features include super macro mode; 30 fps movie recording with monaural sound for capturing quick, digital video snippits; a FinePix Photo button for one-touch access to frequently used settings (image size, ISO sensitivity, and FinePix color mode); continuous shooting mode; a USB interface for PC connectivity; a video output for your TV monitor (NTSC/PAL) to display photographs on your television; FinePix Viewer software; PictBridge compatibility; and an xD-Picture card compatible slot. The FinePix F30 is powered by an included NP-95 rechargeable battery and can take approximately 500 pictures on a single battery charge.

What's in the Box
Fujifilm FinePix F30 digital camera, NP-95 rechargeable battery, AC-5VC AC power adapter, hand strap, USB cable, A/V cable, and FinePix Viewer CD-ROM.

Product Description

CL) U) FUJI FINEPIX F30 DIGITAL CAM

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

139 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Optical Quality, Low Light Performance and More!, July 13, 2006

By 

Michael Morgan (The Last Hometown) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I've been a Canon guy for several years and throught that they lead the pack in photographic innovation. My family has several Canon SLR's, assorted lenses and digital Elph pocket cameras (SD 400, SD450 and SD550). Pocket cameras trade performance and features for small size and ease of use. In bright light without flash the Canon Elphs usually provide image quality which is ok for 8 x 10" photos if one is not too critical about sharpness, especially near the edges and corners. This resolution limit has more to due with the lackluster optics being used than with the number of megapixels. Basically, the tiny lenses are the limiting factor and not the sensor.

The Fuji F30 is about the same size and weight as the Canon SD550 (or SD700). I bought it based on the rave reviews it got in the high-ISO, low light category. So, when I tested it against my 7.1MP Canon SD550 I was greatly surprised by the vastly superior image quality of the 6.3MP Fuji at ALL ISO settings. The Fujicon lens used provides much sharper pictures than the Canon from edge to edge. Sure, the Canon will make ok 8 x 10's but those from the Fuji will be much sharper and crisper, especially away from the center where the Canon image gets softer. The difference is even more striking in lower light, such as indoors or outside when the sun is low or under heavy clouds. The Fuji provides much sharper AND lower noise images at ISO 800 than the Canon does at ISO 200. Essentially, the Fuji can use the same shutter speed (to freeze action and mitigate hand-shake) in one-fourth the light while still producing superior pictures!!! The Fuji could also provide a shutter speed four-times faster in the same light and give sharper pictures and less noisy pictures.

Another advantage of the Fuji F30 is the option to have full manual control over aperture, metering, etc, just like an SLR (no manual focus however). The LCD on the Fuji is also much brighter and clearer (many more pixels and less reflective) than the Canon. One more advantage is battery life. The Fuji battery is about twice as large as that used in the Canon SD550. It is rated at 580 shots while the Canon is rated at about 150 shots. There's not nearly as much need to buy and carry a spare battery for the Fuji.

OK, the Fuji does have a few disadvantages over the Canon. The worst of these to me is the use of tiny xD memory cards. Not only do you need to buy yet another type of card but large 1GB xD cards require much longer times (about 5-10 times as long) to transfer images to your computer through a card reader than do 1GB SD cards. The reason for this is that the small sized xD card require special hardware compression to allow 1GB to be stored. In reading the card the pictures have to be uncompressed into normal jpeg format. This slows down the transfer. The xD card compression seems to have no effect on how fast the camera can take pictures. The Fuji is at least as fast as the Canon in starting up and taking pictures.

Another lessor complaint IMO is the supplied Fuji battery charger. It charges the battery only while in the camera and has a cord to plug into the camera and another long cord to plug into the wall. In contrast, Canon provides a very tiny battery charger with folding outlet prongs. This packs easily and charges the battery directly with NO cords. Fuji could provide a similar charger but, instead, offers to sell you their version of the Canon cordless charger for an extra $60-90 as an accessory. You can also buy a non-Fuji version of the cordless charger for about $28, so it's not a big issue, but is an irritation. It is also worth noting that the Fuji has no peephole viewfinder. I rarely use this but some folks may think this an omission. On the other hand, the Fuji LCD is much brighter and less reflective than the Canon screen so it can actually be used in bright sunlight when the peephole would be the only option with the Canon.

In summary, aside from the issues of the xD card and supplied charger, the Fuji F30 represents a significant breakthrough in image quality, low-light performance and optional manual controls for small pocket cameras.

285 of 313 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Best Low Light Performance, June 26, 2006

By 

C. Dsa (Pasadena, ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

The F30 continues in the F10 tradition. After years of trying to hype up interest in their cameras with SuperCCD claims of 12 MPs etc But falling completely short with excess noise, Fuji has come out with a decent camera this time. This camera compares very well to the higher megapixel cameras like the Canon SD550 and the Sony W70.

Fuji succeeded in besting the previous FinePix F10 which was well liked for the quality of its high ISO upto 800 ISO images. The F30 as about a stop better in terms of image quality. So at ISO 800 the images are similar to ISO 400 images on the F10. Higher ISO increases the sensitivity of the sensor to light but at a cost of increased noise.

Generally the image sensors in digital cameras can be adjusted so that the ISO setting can be increased by simply amplifying the output of the image sensor, which increases image noise, sometimes beyond the level that is acceptable. Just as in photographic film, greater sensitivity comes with some loss of image quality, though this is visible as noise rather than grain.

Here in the Fuji F30, even ISO 1600 is usable. However, note that ISO 3200 images do suffer from noise artifacts. You are not going to notice any of this for small prints but not for prints above 8x10. However no other small point and shoot digicam offers ISO 3200 - in fact not even DSLRs like Canon Rebel 350XD does this..

I think its closest competitors are the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01, Sony W100 and the Canon SD630 all of which are priced slightly lower than the Fuji and have some really compelling features. The Panasonic even has image stabilization which this F30 does not have.

Here are the PROS (Good Things)

1)The F30 is almost identical in shape and weight to its predecessor, the F10 except for that it's a bit more rounded. In size, it is in between compact and ultra-compact. It is similar in size to the Canon SD550. It has a nice sturdy metal body, although not as sleek as and thicker than the Canon SD line but an improvement over the F10

2) Very low noise upto ISO 800 although has purple fringing on some pictures. Blows away the other cameras here. The ISO1600 on the F30 is far less nosiy than the ISO1000 on the new Sony cameras.

3) Low light: This is the main feature and this little camera has actually usable ISO 1600 settings. The ISO3200 is barely useable if you run it through "neat-image". In some cases (not all) this eliminates the need for the the image stablization. I have not been able to find a better point and shoot at ISO1600 which is only avaible on DSLR.

4) Very good battery life. Fuji says 580 pictures per charge...really good for this small camera. I got about 300 pictures for a charge

5) Priced very well if you take a lot of pictures in the nightclubs and parties.

6) Finally a good movie mode (at 640 x 480 and very crisp 30 fps)


Here are the CONS (BAD Things)

1) Uses those pesky SLOWWW xD cards which are harder to find, more expensive and smaller capacities than the SD cards. In comparison to performance. xD is slow, low capacity, and overall really dumb(only on Fuji and Oly cams, while SD are in... everything). A lot of my friends were planning to buy the F30, but really upset at the xD flash format.

2) No optical viewfinder. This will come back to haunt you in bright sunlight when the LCD gets completely washed out.

3) Really stupid design flaw of the use of a propreitary Fuji USB cable. Thanks for getting rid of the dock/adapter from the F10 for any of the ports, including USB, A/V out, or Power.

4) Hard to use menu system. Canon and Sony totally blow away this camera is ease of use menu system

5) Manual controls are better than the F10 but not as good as the Canon manual control. Not all combinations are available in all exposure modes. Fuji tries too hard to make their cameras as "idiot proof" as possible, which tends to be frustrating for more advanced shooters. Getting the settings you want takes a bit of menu changes and mode switching...but you are buying this camera for its point and shoot capabilities and not manual controls.. right !!

6) Lens is not wide-angle as compared to the Panasonic which starts out at 28 mm. The Fuji starts out at a longer 36 mm which are not very useful for wide angle work.

7) Autofocus did not work very well for me. It was slow and tended to search and then it picked the wrong points.

8) Does not have IMAGE stablization. Fuji tries to compete with Panasonic and misrepresents the camera by labeling a mode as "Picture Stabilization". However this is not an optical image stabilization system. Just a really dumb confusing mode which adjusts the ISO setting (from ISO 100 to ISO 3200) to give a shutter speed fast enough to eliminate blur due to camera shake.

9) Oddly enough, not as good on outdoor bright sunny days as it is indoors /at night. THe tonal curves produce images that lack highlight or shadow detail. There is also a huge tendency to over expose in most of the outdoor pictures. On large blow-ups (13x19 and above), the colors appear to be kind of "smeared". Skin tones appear to be little funny at lower ISOs and with flash. Some have an exaggeration of blues or overemphasis of orange. Some pictures are too contrasty and over-saturated, so details gets lost. Canon pictures are a lot more crisper.

10) Controls are very limited.. for example no flash power control.

11) Large Bulky AC Adaptor. Canon has a nice one which plugs right into the wall with built-in prongs.

12) Built-in flash is weak.. even weaker than the f10 and you cannot attach an external flash

13) Made in China. The older models F10 etc were made in Japan. This F30 model is now made in China. I dont know if this will have an impact on quality.

Overall this camera depends on your needs.. if you do a lot of outdoor shooting, go for the Panasonic or the Canons.. If you do about 70 - 80% of your shooting at night events and parties then this Fuji is for you. In summary its best feature is its low-light capability and its biggest flaw is the xD cards. I also stay away from any cameras from Olympus which uses the same small capacity slow but expensive xD cards.

93 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fuji F30 vs Canon SD700IS vs Panasonic Lumix FX01, August 1, 2006

By 

Disgruntled Post-Doc (San Diego) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

Recently I'd planned to replace my Panasonic Lumix FX7 with the FX9. I love the handy little FX7, but its battery life was prohibitively short. To the point that anxiety about when the camera was going to die was marring the pleasure of vacations.

The FX9 has twice the battery life and I thought, problem solved. But just as I was beginning to purchase the FX9, the FX01 came out. I was thrilled, as I could really use the extra wide angle capability.

But then the Canon SD700IS came out. What a lovely little camera. Beautifully made, also good battery life, a longer lens, and now with the Panasonic's trump card, optical IS. And while it seems that the image quality of the FX01 is a slight step down from FX9, the Canon appears to be a clear step up. Megapixel absolutely loved the SD700IS

My only hesitation was that some time ago my wife bought me a Canon A80. It had a tendency to "smooth" the image and I didn't like it. It seemed to diminish the realism and crispness of the picture. Indeed, the criteria I'm used to using when evaluating a camera or camera lens are sharpness, contrast, and saturation. Yes, I could sharpen the image made by the Canon using the computer, so clearly the data was being recorded. However, the actual plane of focus, even after sharpening, is not obvious. I know that professionals actually prefer this smoothness, but I found this so troubling that after days of agonizing, I sent the otherwise lovely A80 back.

When I later acquired the Panasonic FX7, I didn't hold it to the same standard, since it is truly only a pocket camera. I was resigned to accepting slightly disappointing images, but was grateful the camera was there to get the shot. And as long as it is set to ISO 80, the FX7 can deliver a pretty good image and has good lens.

As I agonized about my decision, I looked at quite a few online camera review sites. I particularly like Dpreview, Dcresource, Megapixel and Dave's picks. So, I carefully scrutinized the sample pictures for the SD700IS, and uh oh, there's that Canon smoothing again. This is particularly obvious if you have a look at the macro shot of Mickey Mouse in the DCresource site. The silver bit on Mickey's hat is just a blur- yipe! It's not out of focus, but it almost looks like it is due to the "smoothness". It's just not my cup of tea.

As a piece of kit, the SD700IS is a great thing, so despite the smoothness I didn't want to totally let go of the idea of getting it. As I was agonizing over the camera's images, I noted that in Dpreview, cameras are often compared to a very high resolution camera called the "Fuji F10". This camera's images are a virtually always superior to whatever they are compared to, so much so that I had just assumed it was a DSLR. But I clicked on it and I was shocked to discover that it is another point and shoot!

Now all of a sudden there was another player. I looked through the images from all the website reviews, and in terms of image detail, contrast and ISO the F10 with its "superCCD" appears to be in a slightly higher league than other point and shoots, including the Canon 700IS.

The newer F30 just came out, and so I decided to bite the bullet and buy one before the DPreview came out. I was a little spooked by the Megapixel review, which did not give the F30 as high a rating as the CanonSD700. On the other hand, Dave's site provides a means of side-by side comparison between the CanonSD700 and the F30. In this case, in equal light, my own subjective assessment gave the edge to the F30. But at 400 ISO and above, the F30 blew the CanonSD700 away. In fact, the image quality of the F30 at ISO 400 is as good as the SD700IS at 100, and vastly better than the FX01.

True, the main strength of the F30 is its light gathering capability, making it seem like a one trick pony. However, it is a very important trick. A camera is a machine whose main purpose it to gather light, focus it, and record it. The F30 is very very good at this. It's bit like saying a particular racing car is a one trick pony if it has more horse power than the other cars. Again, if you are going to pick one trick to be good at, that is a very major trick.

And when I'm honest with myself, I frequently use point and shoots in low light situations- indoors, in shaded areas, at dawn, at dusk, at night. When I look at my average travel photos- a very high percentage of the shots are in low light. With many of my shots with the Panasonic FX7, the static parts of the image are clear, but the people are blurry. This is the legacy of low-light optical image stabilized shots. I'm steady, shooting between breaths, the camera is steady, thanks to OIS- but the subject is not completely still. But by shooting 2 or even 3 stops faster, my hope is that both the people and the background will be clear.

When the F30 arrived, I immediately noted it is larger than the Panasonic FX01, which was a bit disappointing. And although easy to use, it didn't seem quite as slick at the Canon. However, as I handled the camera for the first few days, I realized that it is very well made, and one has the feeling that being tightly squeezed in a jeans pocket won't hurt it. So I'm now fairly comfortable shoving it in my pocket.

But once I saw the camera's first pictures, all concerns vanished. The pictures are phenomenal. The sharpness, edge definition, and lack of noise in the low light shots are so good that the camera is really in a higher league than the other point and shoots I was considering. Granted, saturation is a bit low. I used to be an enthusiastic amateur photographer- Bogen tripods, Nikkor Lenses, and push processing my Fuji Velvia one stop. You know the drill. Well, that was years ago. But the F30 is good enough that I'm starting to take more artistic shots again. And I'll just bump up the saturation a bit using the computer.

Another facet is that phenomenal battery life. I shot 375 images, with flashes, and lots of reviewing, and even transferred them to my computer before the battery indicator finally moved from full to the next level down. On my second 4 day trip with the camera, I didn't bother to bring the charger. I didn't need it. Sitting for 2 weeks without use- turning it on- full charge indicated with no losses. What a difference, and what a relief from the constant ritual of charging the battery after every 5 hours with the Panasonic FX7.

So the F30 is a two trick pony- battery life and fantasic light gathering.

When the Dpreview came out, it confirmed my findings. The dpreview is spot on. If you compare the images of the Fuji F30 and the Canon SD700 at 400, 800, well, it's not even close. I wouldn't hesitate to blow up an ISO 400 shot from the Fuji, wherease with the Canon, I might not even bother to take an ISO 400 shot. In retrospect, I'm a bit puzzled the scoring of the Megapixel review, which I'm chalking up to their weighting the handling and menu systems highly.

Since I'm primarily concerned with image quality, battery life, and the speed to focus, the F30 is perfect for me. The camera does what is it advertised to do and I'm really happy that I have it along with me, knowing that I'll never have to feel even slightly disappointed by the results.